Ignition apparatus



c. KEHRER.

IGNITION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25.1919.

1,396,637. Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

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PATENT GFF EC EQ GHASE KEHRER, OF PERTH AMBGY, NEW JERSEY.

IGNITION arrnnarusc To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I CHASE KEHRER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perth Amboy, in the county of Middlesex and State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ignition Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in distributers for use on motor vehicles and more particularly to a distributor designed for use on Ford automobiles which will supplant the ordinary timer and eliminate the necessity of using more than a single induction coil for ignition purposes.

Heretofore, the ignition system of Ford automobiles included a timer mounted on the cam shaft through which the primary electric current from the magneto was passed through the coils thereby energizing each individual coil selectively so that the secondary ofeach coil would be excited thereby causin a spark to jump across the spark gap of tie respective plug. 1

he principal object of the present in vention is to eliminate the necessity of providing more than a single coil thus materially reducing the expense of manufacture and simplifying the construction Another object of the invention is to provide a combination timer and distributer which is designed to complete the primary circuit through the coil and simultaneously complete the secondary circuit through the coil and one of the spark plugs.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forth in the following specification, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a sectional view through this improved distributer illustrating diagrammatically the connections of the spark plugs, coil and generator.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the outer shell of the device.

Fig. 3 is an end view of ment of the device.

Referring to the drawings in detail the numeral 5 designates the outer shell of this distributer which is substantially cone shaped and is provided at its reduced end with a concavity to receive the end of the the rotating ele- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Norm 8, 19210 1919. Serial no. 313,166.

spring retaining arm 6 by means of which the shell is held in place. An annular series of bushings 7 is secured in the shell 5 adjacent its larger end and mounted in said bushmgs are posts 8 on which the binding nuts 9 are threaded by means of which the cables 10 leading to the spark plugs may be con nected thereto. The inner ends of the posts 8 are provided with contacts 11 the use of which will appear as the description proceeds. 7

Arranged near the reduced end of the shell is a bushing 12 through which a post 13 ex tends and the outer end of this post is provided with a binding nut 14, while the inner end carries a spring pressed brush 15 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

A binding screw 15' is connected to the shell and the inner terminal has secured thereto a spring 16 which is provided at its nner end with a brush 1?- As illustrated in the drawings the spring 16 lies in a longitudinal groove in the inner side of the casing 5- This spiring exten s toward the enlarged end of the casing and in such a manner as to dispose the brush 1'? in position to contact with the rotating element of the distributor which will be more fully hereinafter described The rotating element above referred to is designated by the numeral 18 and is secured to the cam shaft 19 in any preferred manner. A bushing 20 is provided at the extreme outer end of the rotating element and is adapted to be shaft in the manner shown in the drawing in order to establish good electrical commumcation between the cam shaft and bushing. Formed on the bushing and extending to the periphery of the rotating element are radial arms 21 which when the device is assembled, contact with the brush 15, thereby completing the primary circuit from the generator through the coil. A. collector ring 22 is carried by the rotating element 18 and is adapted to contact with the brush 17. A distributing arm 23 is formed on the collector ring 22 and engage the contacts 11 hereinbefore scribed.

In operation, the motor is set it will be seen that when in operation, the cam shaft threaded on the cam.

is arranged to successively 19 will rotate the element 18 thereby causing the brush 23 to successively engage the contacts 11 at the same instant that the arms 21 contact with the brush 15. It will thus be seen that the current passing from the generator 24 will enter the primary 25 of an induction coil 26 and thence pass through suitable connections to the post 13 from whence the current is carried through the brush 15 and bushing 20 to the cam shaft 19 by means of which it is returned to the generator, thereby completing the primary circuit.

It will be obvious that the passing of the current through the primary .of the induction coil will excite the secondary 27, one terminal of which is grounded and the current generated in the secondary will pass through suitable connections to the post 15 and thence through the spring 16 and brush 17 to the collector ring 22. The arm 23 being at all times in electrical communication with the collector ring 22, it will be obvious that when said arm engages the contacts 11, the current will flow through said arms and contacts and thence through the connections 10 to the spark plugs 28. In this way it will be seen that at the'instant the spark plugs are connected to the secondary 27 of the coil, the primary 25 of said coil will be energized.

The cap 5 is entirely constructed of insulating material and the same is provided with a radial flange B which extends in parallel relation with the rotating element 18. The flange B is provided with an angular extension C, which operates to house the peripheral part of said rotating element and as illustrated, the latter is spaced from the former. These parts are operatively associated so as to guard against passage of the current through the space between the periphery of said rotating element 18 and the guard or housing flange C manner the structure is insulated against accidental short circuits by sparks passing through the open side of said shell 5. The aforesaid rotating element 18 is also en tirelv formed of insulating material.

While in the, foregoing there has been shown and described. the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that certain minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and'scope o the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is p 1. An ignition device comprising a disklike element having a hub provided with a metallic bushing adapted for operative connection with one end of a cam shaft and serving to hold said disk-like elements in a position at right angles to the axis of sald cam shaft, a metallic collector ring secure In thisto said disk-like element and provided with a radial arm, said ring being concentric with the disk-like element, a .cap housing said disk-like element, contact devices carried by said cap, said contact devices re spectively adapted to co-act with said radial arm of the aforesaid collector ring and lying parallel to the axis of the bushing of said disk-like. element, a contact element radiating from the cap and co-acting with said metallic bushing, a contact brush coacting with said metallic collector ring, the disk-like element formed of .insulating material and associated} with respect to the walls of the cap to prevent leakage of the current past the effective sparking points between the metallic ring and its co-acting contact devices, all of said contact devices and said brush adapted to be operatively arranged in an ignition circuit.

2. n ignition device comprising a disklike element having a hub provided with a metallic bushing adapted for operative connection with one end of a cam shaft and serving to hold said disk-like elements in a position at right angles to the axis of said cam shaft, a metallic collector ring secured to said disk-like element and'provided with a radial arm,- said ring being concentric with the disk-like element, a cap housing said disk-like element, contact devices carried by said cap, said contact devices respectively adapted to co-act with said radial arm of the aforesaid collector ring and lying parallel to the axis of the bushing of said disk-like element, a contact element radiating from the cap and co-acting with said metallic bushing, a contact brush coacting with said metallic collector ring, the disk-like element formed of insulating material and associated with respect to the walls of the cap to prevent leakage of the current past the effective sparking points between the metallic ring and its co-acting contact devices, all of said devices and said brush adapted to be operatively arranged in an ignition circuit, the said cap being slidable with relation to the disk like element, and means for holding said cap against sliding movementand in operative relation to said element 3. An ignltion apparatus for use in corn nection with the cam shaft of an internal f tion with the shaft and provided with a hub having means in contact therewith for establishing ground connection between the shaft and an ignition circuit, a cap adapted to extend over the end of the shaft and preferably around the disk-like element, a contact device carried by the cap and friction ally engageable with said means, a collector ring on the disk like element, a brush card ried by the cap and in frictional contact with said ring, a radial arm formed on said ring and frictional contact devices lying parallel to the cam shaft and carried 'by said cap and adapted for successive engagementwith said arm, the disk-like element and said cap being each formed of insulating material and relatively disposed to prevent leakage of the current past the e fiective sparking points between the arm of said ring and its co-acting contact devices. I

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

CHASE KEHRER, 

